Build a portable power pack for $25

[@heather65459]

So very many folks out there should not be making videos. I just want to thank the maker of this video for using a tripod and speaking clearly. It was not only easy to understand, it was easy to watch. Many videos actually give me motion sickness because they can't seem to manage a tripod. Good video. I will be looking for more of yours.

[@roberttosa2560]

Just built one of these using your plans. It's awesome! Printed out the parts list below, took it to Wal-Mart and the sales associate pulled all the parts in about 10 minutes including a high crank battery. Now I can go camping again because I have a way to power my CPAP machine. Thanks so much for posting this!!

[@ugp4life779]

Robert Cairns Hey I just put this together for a cpap machine as well. Problem is I'm not very electrically inclined. I bought the wrong size fuse for the inline fuse holder so I'll have to pick one up tomorrow. Would that be the reason I'm not getting power to the device?

[@kimdotnet2110]

Props on taking the initiative and not letting your condition get in the way of getting out into nature. Just thought that was really cool of you.

[@OldTimerpit]

I built this kit yesterday for just over $95 which includes the battery, all parts were bought at Walmart's automotive department.

[@17837]

Great video, bud ! If more of 'em were done this well, YT would be even more useful. Articulate, clear explanations, stable camera, crisp resolution .. bravo, and thanks !

[@juswatchinintosa]

Great DIY project, started getting the stuff together to buld this, then I went to my local Fleet Farm and bam - a $35 alternative with two 12 volt outlets, battery status indicator, box, and all the wiring already done. I just added my inverter and battery and what a great portable package... it's called a Universal Power Group Marine Battery Smart Box, and if you don't have a Fleet Farm or farm &fleet, then try any boating/marine store... Awesome....

[@Jeffdachefz]

if people did this instead of dumping their old car batteries, the world would actually be a greener place. kudos to you man, very resourceful.

[@johnnyappleseed4386]

Very informative video. People like you should be recognized for helping those of us that are not mechanically inclined. I just needed someone to explain it to me like I was a child, step by step, great video !

[@earla9518]

I've used a wheel chair battery. They are usually sealed it can tip over and not worry about the acid spilling over. Its much smaller and lighter. And it holds a charge for a long time. I was able to jump start a few cars, including my v8 ford e-350 a couple of times and showed no sign of needing to be charged. Ive also tested and used a lawn mower battery, but i recommend getting something over 300 CCA.

[@davidbean5807]

I built my box a while back and mounted a solar battery maintainer on the lid. You can also add a on off switch to the wiring of the maintainer so that you can disconnect the positive side and charge the battery by connecting a male to male cable from car cigarette lighter socket to battery's socket. I also have a 400 amp 12 volt DC to 120 Volt AC inverter mounted to my box . And I went ahead and tied in a plug connector to my battery posts so I can connect to a bigger solar panel or a generator

[@danielhayworth866]

doing this in my 1994 c2500 for light ba with a toggle switch, a dual cig lighter with a converter for a household plug like an extension cord and bolt down securing it in center footing area under cup holders. this video helped me put my concept together. thanks guy

[@RedfishInc]

great job! Simple and effective, no extra power draining bells, whistles, lights or leds.

[@Designedbyinstinct]

That's a GREAT idea for lighting a campsite! Yellow keeps bugs away possibly? Red could be good for keeping night vision.

[@MrSlamCAC]

7-28-13 I just completed a box virtually identical to yours, I added an Attwood 12V 1.5A Battery Maintenance Charger inline, and used Anderson Power Pole Connectors. I'm thinking about adding a Voltmeter. Thanks for a great idea, very useful DIY project.

[@hamtalker2007]

i built mine similar to yours and it was about 15 bucks, i had the battery, made it for my alternator generator that i built, very neat, it was fun to build and i still am improving it

[@Lastkingof33]

If i ever go off grid i need to know things like this

[@DIMTIM1000]

Great idea doing a fused output. Another something that you might want to consider is adding a terminal block of some sort in case you have a device that needs 12v power, but no extra cigarette lighter plug for the device. Just strip a bit of insulation off the wires, twist if they are not solid wire, and attach to the terminal block. Doesn't even matter if you have terminal splices for your wire ends.

[@pecadorsinner919]

Thanks for the info man, I'm kind of obsessed with this stuff lately

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@harrison4479 Yes, absolutely. Use a Stanley 6 amp battery charger from Lowes to keep the pack charged if you have no solar panel. Or a CTEK 7002 charger if you have the cash. Look on Amazon for those.

[@DROY2004]

I've seen many, many vid's on solar gen. But this one is by far the BEST, it has it all, as a semi-pro vid maker myself, I can appreciate good work when I see it, kudos', keep up the Good Work!

[@Omegawerewolfx]

Put the link for part two in the body of the description so we can jump right to it. Very cool video. I think I need one of these for the zombie apocalypse.

[@timcorsetti5125]

great video. the tone of your voice sounds slightly sarcastic or matter of fact (which i like). I chuckled when you checked the back of the box for the amp limit around 3:30 because every time I look for wattage, its never labeled (of course all walmart products)

[@numademan]

Well done my friend. Your instructions are step by step and makes for a good teacher. You could not ask for a better youtube instruction. Do more of these things for the world to use to save money and get by without the Grid. Thanks for your time and effort. : )

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@dirkdaddy2 Yes, it was meant to be ultra simple ;) In some extreme cases there might be a potential for spark. Normally the battery will only offgas when you are hitting it with a big, fast charge. If you require total safety, put an expensive fully sealed AGM Optima battery in the box. There is also a covered external 12v outlet at Wal Mart. It could be mounted on the outside of the box.

[@JunohProductions]

Very interesting. I may make one for my brother since he's always losing his electricity. This is cheaper than any generator and I'll likely be able to add a solar panel to it in order to increase productivity. That way they can charge their phone for emergencies or use a small heating or cooking device.

[@corndog2835]

looks like you have enough room that you could add a battery tender inside the case, then you could keep it plugged in and know you have a full charge at any given time you need it...

[@rafexemt3297]

Thank you very much for this video I am adding motorcycle eds lights to my wheelchair and had all the components to make the battery box but wasnt 100 percent sure I was doing it right , you helped alot !!!

[@Designedbyinstinct]

Sure. You could hook a car stereo to this. Or google the Lepai LP-2020+ 12 volt mini amp. $20 USD. Hook your speakers and tunes to it. 20 watts per channel. Sounds great. Will run all day off this pack with a good deep cycle in it.

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@Tarahawks Yes, I'll add more sockets sometime. That runtime for the bulb sounds about right. I know I can run big computer fans for days. This battery in a box deal was just to show people they can do something right now to have some meager backup ready.

[@Octoguitarian70]

I like how you leave the fuse out till the very end of the assembly so you don't get shocked.

[@avidbrood]

I needed to run a portable DVD player at a community fair without an outlet. This worked great for me. I plan on trying the same setup with a power inverter.

[@NeilsCave]

I did the same thing for camping except I put 3 lighter plugs in. For lights I used yellow LED vehicle running lights with 15 ft cords on each, nice glow around camp and the LEDs last forever. I also have a LED trouble light I can use for brightness.

[@Designedbyinstinct]

Yes, you can add rings on top of the other ones. Just make sure you tighten everything down good. You want really good contact. I don't use the battery when charging. It throws some electronic chargers off and they act funny. But you could do it in an emergency. You need a charge controller for your solar panel if it's a big one. It will overcharge the battery if you leave it hooked up. See my other video. Morningstar makes some $30 models that are decent.

[@rkaag99]

just a thought for easy charging... take a male lighhter plug and wire positive to positive and negative to negative on a low amperage trickle charger (2amps or so). plug the lighter into your existing socket and plug the charger into the wall. this will keep the battery topped off. when the power goes out, just pull the charger plug from your battery and plug in the device you need to use. REMEMBER TO USE A CHARGER THAT DOES NOT EXCEED THE WIRING!

[@Designedbyinstinct]

Will do. I have some parts on order. Will be in June 3rd. Video coming soon after. Gonna be a great one. Full length.

[@519Yuki]

Great video.. Hope you can add more. Like how to charge the battery without really taking it out from the box..

[@Designedbyinstinct]

Use a battery charger...or solar panel charger setup. Lowes has a Stanley 6 amp charger with some cool features. It can plug into the cig lighter outlet and charge it through there without opening the box.

[@RG69GILLES]

Definitely my next project...thank you. Grettings from Canada.

[@dslynx]

Cool, good job. Looks like you might have enough area for a small 300 watt power inverter as well.

[@Mr40tt]

It is indeed a pleasure to watch and learn from this video. Thank You!

[@seniorchiefharris]

I really enjoyed you step by step approach to set up the battery and cables, but it seems you might have run out of time at the end when you hooked up the 'FUSE and CABLES'...Would really appreciate your instructions on hooking up the fuse for this battery box to work safely without damaging the battery system/or the load... Again, THANKS sooo much for your detailed video and look forward to your response to my query!

[@stonehill12385]

Thank god for that video I have been trying to figure that out for years and nobody knew what i was talking about. Thanks again

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@R5H4D0W Of course. Great points. This video was made for people that have almost no cash. It uses the bare minimum you can pay at Wal-Mart for components. Lots of people are in this boat right now. I'd rather see them marginally prepared than have nothing. Some might think this sounds crazy...just spend some time talking to everybody out there. I have, and it's not pretty. This setup can charge AA NiMH batts, run small inverters and cellphones in a totally safe manner.

[@simardssurveillancesystems8209]

Very well explained... Nicely done with the step by step.... Very well spoken.... Keep up the good work

[@Designedbyinstinct]

Great to hear it! That's what this is all about. Just don't put the inverter in the box. Battery fumes are not good for circuit boards long term.

[@johnking862]

Thanks for this video. I'm going to build this with a solar panel and an 800 watt inverter to use for camping in the back of my pick up truck.

[@joquirk840]

Really practical and well explained. Nice accurate work also.

[@Designedbyinstinct]

Put the fuse on the red/positive side. All the wires should reach. Rewatch the video. Do you have the battery in the box backwards?

[@ianrsigel]

I would add the following: 2nd 12v outlet. 110v outlet. Inverter installed in interior compartment. Volt meter.

[@TawaniAnyangwe]

This is a very informative video. Great dialog, lighting and camera angle. Thanks!

[@billythebrainsoftain]

Thanks for this video! Now I can save some money setting up two of these for two trolling motors in my new Sevylor HF360 which will help me get out on the water and catching fish faster. I wish more videos were like this.

[@muratonder65]

Wow buddy I really enjoyed this video. Although I'm sure i could have done this myself you made me feel like I was being "taught" Your hand gestures were dead on and very descriptive even if there was no sound and your voice/tone is attention grabbing and clear to understand. It was planned out perfectly and very organized. You really should look into doing some Instructional Videos Cause I could see you very successful with it and I along with many others, I presume, will look forward to more..

[@davidpayne1161]

good and simple instructions I wonder u show us how to put a volt meter, a solar port for charging in as well matey

[@FrugalPandaTravels]

I will use your ideas for a solar panel emegency kit, I use a deep cycle battery instead, throw in a inverter, some holes for venting, pc fan. Throw a 45Watt panel. Pretty awesome thanks for the ideas

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@ohioladyprepper Yes. It will take a really long time if it's a small panel. A 20-30 watt solar panel will do a better job and still be portable. Google "alt e solar" and look at the Sunwize SolCharger SC24-12V (light and tough) Or the GSE 30 watt (cheaper, with metal frame). Put cig lighter plug on either one and plug into this pack. A 24 watt panel will put out 1.24 amp @ 12v. That's what you need. 1 amp is equal to a wall plug trickle charger. This assumes max sunlight.

[@cocorfun]

Thank you for the info. How do you re-charge the battery once it runs out of juice?

[@bobo888bobo]

Very well done video and information. I thought I knew all this stuff but you gave me new ideas and also were very complete on what all the parts do. thank you

[@dirkdaddy2]

Leo - 400w Inverters draw a decent amount of amps, with one battery you might get two hours I'd estimate but someone I'm sure has done this. Depends on watts of load.

[@cybersmap]

Thanks. I really want to build this for long time.

[@hippie07]

Awesome video and great tutorial - I made this last night and it works!! My first ever time doing an electrical project! Thanks again! I have a novice question. I plan on getting a "battery tender" charger and was wondering. Can I attach rings for it onto the terminal on top of the other rings?? will this damage anything? Also, can I use the battery while its charging?? I was thinking of leaving it plugged into a solar panel - thanks for your help!!

[@bobo888bobo]

when the power goes out I plug my wireless router into either a computer UPS, or a booster pack and inverter. That way I can use a laptop or tablet for internet for a long time. or listen to the radio until the power returns

[@NoPro1962]

Bravo We were in a power outage last week and I always have my marine deep cycle charging for my minnkota was thinking of how I could tap into it they now have 110v converter you can plug into your lighter socket dont know how many hours would get out of it just even to run a fan would be nice where in Louisiana it gets hot any Draft would be nice.and to be able to charge phone and such.

[@doormaker2]

Outstanding instructable! A good idea, well executed. Thanks!

[@stevemotley808]

i will be making one but will add a few things like a deep cycle battery a usb port and shrink wraping the connections.

[@jommmer]

would be cool to add a built in invertor on the otherside of the case. I know your goal was to go cheap, but personally i'd spend the money for a deep cell (marine) battery.. they have much more amp capacity that a car starter battery. but then again if all you're doing is recharging a cell phone or laptop, a car battery is fine.

[@Bol3D_Comics]

this makes a great power source for the video cameras

[@Designedbyinstinct]

Bass Pro has cig lighter sockets like mine. The Fleet And Farm only has terminals.

[@pcking2008]

Simple and to the point. great video man

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@DIMTIM1000 Well, I figured people could take the concept and run with it. I don't think terminal blocks are available at Wal-Mart. My whole concept is for people to just go and get it done. So many people are unprepared and unskilled out there. I hope this stuff helps them out.

[@buenavistarumberos7833]

I have 2 batteries that are used for the very large trucks (18 wheelers) I like to put solar panels on them to charge them. Can you explain how I could do that?

[@z1booya]

Great idea. I'm looking for a way for my son to use his bipap (breathing) machine while dry camping and I think this might work. Can you suggest away of charging the battery or do you know how long a battery will last being used ? Thank you for your help!!

[@z1booya]

Awesome, thank you!!

[@SciTech09]

Thanks for showing this build. Great job on the video.

[@jan3019]

i've been wanting to do this to have a seperate power suppy for my 2 led bars and 4 led cubes. but i want to add solar pannel to recharge the battery :)

[@eds1994fatboy]

This was a great idea and video.....I put this exact setup on the front of my pop-up camper......just to let you know I hade to drill 4 1/4 " drain holes in the bottom because a heavy rain will get in

[@avidbrood]

I doesn't matter which side I install the fuse holder, right? The black terminal will not reach the battery but will if I attach the fuse holder to it.

[@mrok8988]

thanks for sharing. very useful tip..headed to part 2, now.

[@bekahsimmonz4569]

I loved this video! Will be trying this out. You mentioned using a stove to this. What video is this in and what other items besides charging a cell phone that can be use to plug into this power pack? Thank you.

[@alex183loeinter8]

May I use this idea to boost a dead car battery? That I need to use 60A fuse or something else right? Please give me a suggestion!! Thanks a lot!!

[@TheBoobner]

Could you put a switch on the positive terminal to kill power completely?

[@gasparyangahijo]

Could something like this power a small fan-forced ceramic heater without either exploding?

[@mzsaint41]

Wow, thanks this really helps with a project I'm doing now.

[@joycesrvlegacy-4635]

Now THAT was a GREAT video! Thanks so much!

[@ecaep42]

This looks interesting I hope to build one, how much would it cost from scratch like buying everything for it?

[@terrynicholson5214]

where is the video you mentioned in the video about powering the stove etc... what can this power pack work?

[@DIMTIM1000]

Know what you mean there brother. I saw what was starting to happen some time back, and started to prepare. I want to do some low tech builds like this to be a bit ahead of the curve when I finish them. I have some great ideas and spin-offs from some things like this, and as soon as I get a chance I'll be doing some response posts for the ones I think are really good. Liked your KZbin page and subscribed it to check as I get free time. Great stuff, and useful for sure. Many thanks.

[@TheHoboPop]

THIS IS GREAT! kinda wish you showed us this baby in action by running or powering something from it. cause now im wondering, how long will it last, how often do I need to charge it, and what is the biggest and how many items can I power from it at one time? but it is something that seems to be a great idea for a blackout.

[@garrybeachler1435]

Although I'm not the author, I am a survivor of many power outages. If you plug in the stereo, fridge, ac, lites, etc, all at once, u can expect about 6 seconds.

[@POPtheHOBO]

Garry Beachler thanks. I went and finally got all the things I needed to make one (the cigarette lighter was the hardest part). and I'm gonna put it together and try it out on my channel real soon. so wish me luck.

[@Tarahawks]

go ahead:) good idea you could even put 2 cigarette lighter sockets in it. I found i can run 1 thirteen watt bulb on one battery for about 3 or 4 nights at my camp.

[@mikeyfondutch5206]

Is it possible to plug a small freezer in to the powerbox? And will it be on for a few hours or last only a few minuts

[@firstlast-cx8xq]

You just have to find a tiny one that pulls very little amps.

[@rabbitdrink]

I was thinking about using an inverter before I read this comment! If ratings were enabled, I would thumbs up this video and this comment!

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@rkaag99 Yes! A good idea if you use the pack only in emergencies (or have low cash). Schumacher sells a 1.5 amp battery maintainer at Wal Mart (Model SEM-1562a) for $19. Home Depot has Black & Decker brand 2 amp for the same price. They come with quick detach alligator clamps and rings. Just take the ring terminal set and cut/strip...add male lighter plug instead. You pack is then ready 24/7.

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@jommmer That's good to know. Those kinds of things come in handy. I have a few with ring terminals on them. Makes hooking to marine batteries quick and easy.

[@davidlord5664]

Very cool bud. I'm gonna try this. When's the next video coming out with the upgrade you spoke of in this video. Please let me know if I didn't see it on your page. Very intrigued with this device. Power goes off quite a bit where I'm living now so this would be very helpful for me. Thanks for the info and keep up the good work.

[@Designedbyinstinct]

I have a new video space now. Will be doing new power pack video soon.

[@The_MYTH]

Looking to build a few 12v rechargeable power packs for running my telescopes in the field. I was almost planning on BLOWING 200-800 dollars when I saw this. I'm guessing here that this system will work with what I want to do. I already have a BESTEK 300W power inverter (single outlet w/2 USB ports) that I have used with my car battery before.

[@The_MYTH]

Just a heads up....Walmart didn't even have HALF the items listed. My area hardware store didn't even carry the cigarette lighter socket....I had to order that from amazon. The other items had to be purchased from my local hardware store.

[@TowMan127]

great video. I've been using a safety light that has a cigarette light plug but it's only good for charging our cellphones. Last night while camping we tried to power up our air mattress and it was no good.Looking into building something like this hoping it will work. have you made that new video?

[@jommmer]

@RBEglobal Yes, no time like the present... another idea is to just get the accessory 12v socket with the battery alligator clips already attached.. think i paid $9 for one at radio shack.

[@Designedbyinstinct]

Look at the other video on my channel. Poor Man's Survival Solar. It shows how to hook a solar panel to a charge controller....then to a battery. If you have big Group 31 batteries, you could use a single solar panel on one with that 12v equipment. Get a 24v solar panel and a 24v capable charge controller..hook both batteries together for 24v. Then hook a 24v inverter to get AC power for house stuff. Don Rowe.com has them. Samlex 24v sine wave inverters. Two ways to go. About $400-1000.

[@justinanderson1115]

Is it safe to charge a phone using this battery->auxiliary power port->usb car charger->phone charging cable->iPhone? I love the simplicity of this setup, just want to know if it will somehow harm my expensive phone. Thank you so much for the video!

[@Designedbyinstinct]

@cooldude1349 It varies depending on the battery you have. Most of this size are 70 amp hour. Go to Instructables and search for "Easy Test of Battery Amp-Hours Capacity".

[@Designedbyinstinct]

See, *these* are the kind of comments I like ;) I just suggested an Everstart because you can buy all the items to build this pack in a single place. One quick stop in almost every American town. If you have the time and other suppliers....pick any similar (or better) parts or buy premade. For example, Bass Pro shops or Amazon has a deluxe Minn Kota Trolling Motor Power Center / battery box like this for $50-65 It's Model # 1820175.

[@brandondaniels9471]

Instead of using a cigarette lighter socket, can this be modified to connect the battery directly to a DC-to-AC power inverter? Or, is it just best to use a cigarette lighter socket to connect to a DC-to-AC power inverter?

[@Designedbyinstinct]

+Brandon Daniels Connect any inverter directly to battery terminals. Cig. lighter sockets are not good for heavy loads.

[@ninjamalta]

+Brandon Daniels You can do both the Cigarette lighter as well as the converter. I'm doing both as well as a USB outlet.

[@wildbill23c]

+Brandon Daniels If you really want to use a power inverter directly connect it to the battery for the best power. Going from the battery through the socket then to the inverter will give you a bit less amperage, you want the power inverter to pull its power directly from the battery for best results and for the best voltage/amperage. Anytime you throw another connection between the battery and your inverter you lose a bit of power...its not much but if you have a larger size power inverter it can cause some heat issues as well.

[@peterfitzpatrick1654]

Designed By Instinct

[@JohnLegate]

I'm wondering how to customize this to be rechargeable from a 12V power source, similar to the ArkPak (but still be just a basic 12V DC power pack, no AC/inverter needed). I have an EdgeStar FP430 portable fridge I'd like to run in my van and just leave it in there. The power pack would plug into the van's 12V cigarette lighter to keep itself charged, and the fridge would plug into the power pack's 12V port and potentially be running 24/7 for 2 or 3 weeks at a time during long road trips. So the power pack would be essentially functioning as a UPS, continuously supplying energy to run the fridge, and would be getting charged while the engine is running and draining while the engine is off (the van's 12V cig lighter shuts off when the engine is off.) The ArkPak seems to come close to what I want, and is advertised as being able to run a fridge for 7 days with a 130AH battery, but it has at least 2 problems: 1) The ArkPak 730 typically runs around $449, the best price I've seen is $399 - still more than I really care to spend if I don't have to. I just need the basic 12V DC power, don't want to spend for 120V AC power that I won't use. 2) The ArkPak's inverter generates a modified sine wave. If it created a pure sine wave, I might still be tempted to go ahead and get it, but I won't spend that kind of money for a modified. But the charging system also needs to be smart, not just a dumb straight connection. It needs something similar to the multi-stage protective charging systems like I've seen advertised in products such as the seven stage VMAX BC1220: Stage 1: Desulfation Stage 2: Soft Start Stage 3: Bulk Stage 4: Absorption Stage 5: Battery Test Stage 6: Recondition Stage 7: Float. Could instructions for an efficient implementation of this project be shown, either written or in a video? On a side note, I've had my EdgeStar plugged into a Kill A Watt p4460 meter in my house for the past 3 days to measure its power consumption. Right now it's been running for 70 hours and has used 670 watt-hours, which averages out to 9.57 watt-hours per hour, or 229.714 watt-hours per 24 hour day. I believe 229.714 watt-hours converts to 19.143 amp-hours per day at 12V, so the claim that a fridge could run 7 days off a 130AH battery seems reasonable (130AH / 19.143AH per Day = 6.79 days). Since I would never go more than 48 hours without driving the van, this would not be an issue, and I could reasonably make do with a smaller (100AH or 80AH) battery.